Versatile container closure cap and coaster



2,955,722 VERSATILE CONTAINER CLOSURE CAP AND COASTER Filed Sept. 25,1959 0ct.11, 1960 A. J. ANTONIOUS V 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ANTHONY J.ANTON/GUS INVENTOR.

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A TTORNEY A. J. ANTONIOUS 2,955,722 VERSATILE CONTAINER CLOSURE CAP ANDCOASTER Filed Sept. 25, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 0&1 11, 1960 FIG. 5.

B h m l Patented Oct. 11, 1960 ice VERSATILE CONTAINER CLOSURE CAP ANDCOASTER Anthony J. Antonious, 3608 Cedar Drive, Baltimore 7, Md.

Filed Sept. 23,1959, Ser. No. 341,726

8 Claims. (Cl. 215-100.5)

This invention relates to a versatile device suitable for use as eithera coaster or a closure cap for containers. In one aspect, it relates toa coaster of the variety generally used to receive and support adrinking container, such as a tumbler, goblet, or the like, to affordprotection to a surface, such as a table top, upon which the coaster andcontainer are set to rest. In another aspect, the devicecan beeffectively put to use as a closure cap for containers to provide a sealwhen such containers are used to preserve certain foods in homerefrigerators. In a further aspect, the device is provided with meansfor removing closure caps from bottles and the like.

Coasters generally comprise an open receptacle having a flat bottom anda low rim circumscribing the bottom for receiving and supporting varioustypes of drinking containers. When a container, suchtis a glassturnbler, for example, is filled with a cool beverage, moisturecondenses on the outer wall of the tumbler and flows downwardly andcollects in the bottom of the coaster. With the tumbler set to rest inthe coaster, some of the condensate adheres to the bottom of thetumbler. When the tumbler is raised from the coaster, the adhering con-'densate drips onto the persons clothing which is'not only disturbing butquite oftenstains the clothing.

It is, therefore, a primary object of this invention to provide a devicewhich overcomes the prior art objections. It is also an object toprovide a device which is multi-functional in serving as a coaster andcontainer closure cap. These objects are realized by providing a devicecomprising a disk having an upright peripheral wall and a plurality ofconcentrically arranged spaced lugs projecting vertically from saiddisk. When employed as a coaster, a drinking container is set to rest onthe tops of the projecting lugs out of contact with the condensate whichcollects on the bottom of the device. When used as a closure cap, therim of the mouth of a vessel is frictionally engaged by the spaced lugswhcih exert tension on the rim to provide an effective seal.

The invention is illustrated by reference to the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is 'a perspective view of the device made according to thepresent invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the device in use as a coaster andsupporting a tumbler.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the device in use as a closure capfor a tumbler.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view showing the relative position of a capremover.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is partly in section and illustrates the cap remover in theprocess of removing a crown cap from a bottle.

Referring to the drawings, the device comprises a fiat circular plate ordisk 10 having obverse and reverse sides 11 and 12 respectively. Thesides are preferably fiat and smooth and such smoothness is particularlyapplicable to the reverse side 12 so that it will not mar furnituresurfaces, such as the tops of tables, on which the device may be placedin use as a coaster. An upright wall 13 is integrally formed with theperiphery of the disk, the upper edge of which is elevated relative tothe other portions of the device. The sides of the wall are preferablycorrugated which flare upwardly and outwardly from the disk. Suchcorrugations permit expansion and contraction when the walls. are formedof suitable resilient material. v

A plurality of spaced rows of lugs 14 are disposed within the confinesof the upright wall and project vertically from the obverse side of disk10. The lugs are preferably formed of a resilient material in order thatthey may yield to the pressure involved in forcing the rim of acontainer into the spaces therebetween and there after resume theirshape when the container is withdrawn therferom. In Figs. 1 and 4 thereare shown fourrows of lugs but it is to be understood that the number ofrows is not a limitation on this invention. The lugs are disposed inspaced apart relationship within the respective rows and are aligned infiles, one behind the other, radiating outwardly from a point somewhatremoved from the center of the disk. Each lug is correspondinglyarranged with the equi-radial lugs so as to form theoretically aplurality of concentric rings. Such arrangement permits the use of thedevice as a cap for various containers having mouths of differentdiameters. j

The lugs 14 may assume any upright form, but a preferred form is shownin the drawings, particularly Fig. 1. As shown, the lug is provided witha thick base 15 which gradually tapers from its midportion 16 andterminates in an upper portion 17 having. a truncated vertex in a planeparallel to the obverse surface of the disk. The

tapered lug is effective in guiding the rim of themouth of a containerinto the spaces between the respective lugs,

y when the device is used as a closure cap, as shown in Fig.

3. When forced into full position, the rim of the container fits snuglyinto the spaces between the respective sides of the lug bases andthereby provides an efficient seal. Giving a flat surface to the vertexof the lugs permits a container to set evenly when the device isemployed as a coaster, as shown in Fig. 2.

'To bolster the lugs in bearing theweight of a large container heavilyladen with liquid, there may be provided a plurality of spaceduprightsupportingmembers 18 concentrically arranged within the 'innermost ringof lugs. As shown clearly in Fig. 1,-thesesupports may assumethe shapeof a truncated cone which are of a height at least equal to said lugs.-

When the device is used as a coaster, as shown in Fig. 2, a tumbler 19is supported primarily on lugs 14 and bolstered by upright supports 18.Any condensation which forms on the wall of the tumbler will collect inthe bottom of the device out of complete contact with the base of thetumbler. By providing the device with the vertical lugs, there iscreated a basin or reservoir, which is of sufficient depth to retainsubstantial quantities of condensate without Wetting the bottom of thetumbler as it is seated on the raised lugs.

The lugs 14 are duo-functional. In addition to serving as containersupports when the device functions as a coaster, they provide means forsealing a container when the device is used as a closure cap as shown inFig. 3. The rim 20 'of a mouth of a suitable container 21 is insertedinto the spaces between the lugs which frictionally engage'and forceablyhold the rim and thereby provide an effective closure for the container.By providing the device with a plurality of lugs and arranging them inconcentric relationship with the equi-radial lugs, the device maybe usedas a closure cap for containers having mouths of various diameters. Itis particularly adaptable as a cap for ordinary tumblers or refrigeratorjars to preserve unused portions or left-over edible perishable foods inhome refrigerators.

In another embodiment of the invention, the device is provided with anintegral bottle cap remover lying diametrically across the device, showngenerally at 2.2 in Fig. 4. It comprises an elongated fiat metal platehaving an inverted V-shaped central portion defining a fulcrum 23.Prying members 24 and 25 are disposed on each side of the fulcrum andare slanted in a plane parallel to the respective sides of the fulcrum.Flat end portions or wings 26 and 27 extend outwardly from each of theprying members toward the wall 13. The opener is secured to the deviceby embedding the end portions within the body of the disk. The openermay be fabricated from a single strip of metal plate by bending thecentral portion thereof to form the inverted V-shaped fulcrum, scoringand punching out sections on each side of the fulcrum and raising theseportions to the desired plane to form the respective prying members.

To remove a cap from a bottle, reference is made to Fig. 6. The deviceis inverted, the crown cap 28 is engaged by its edge with prying member25 and brought to rest against fulcrum 23. Pressure is thereafterapplied downwardly to the opposite side of the device which pries thecap upwardly and disengages it from the bottle 29. Either of the pryingmembers may be so operated thereby providing two cap removers to thedevice.

As thus described, the device may serve as a coaster or closure cap withor Without cap removing means. A variety of materials may be utilized inits fabrication, such as metals or polymeric materials, such aspolyethylene, either clear, colored or opaque. When produced fromplastic materials, the device may be integrally made from a single moldand the cap remover may be inserted during the molding operation.Suitable ornamentation or decorative schemes, such as applyingadvertising indicia on the reverse side, may be added without departingfrom the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A device of the class described comprising a disk, an upright wallintegral with the periphery of said disk, and a plurality of spaced rowsof lugs projecting vertically from said disk, said lugs being spacedapart Within the respective rows and aligned in files radiatingoutwardly a distance from the center of the disk, the lugs beingarranged with the corresponding equi-radial lugs to form concentricrings.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein the lugs are formed ofresiliently yieldable material.

3. A device according to claim 1 wherein the upper portion of the lugsis tapered to form a truncated vertex having a plane parallel to thesurface of the disk.

4. A device according to claim 1 wherein the upright wall is corrugatedand flares upwardly and outwardly.

5. A device of the class described comprising a disk, an upright wallintegral with the periphery of said disk, a plurality of spaced rows oflugs projecting vertically from said disk, said lugs being spaced apartwithin the respective rows and aligned in files radiating outwardly froma point somewhat removed from the center of said disk, said lugs beingarranged with the corresponding equi-radial lugs to form concentricrings, and a plurality of concentrically arranged spaced uprightsupports disposed within the innermost ring of lugs, said supports beingof height at least equal to said lugs.

6. A device of the class described comprising a disk, an upright Wallintegral with the periphery of said disk, a plurality of spaced rows oflugs projecting vertically from said disk, said lugs being spaced apartwithin the respective rows and aligned in files radiating outwardly froma point somewhat removed from the center of said disk, said lugs beingarranged with the corresponding equi-radial lugs to form concentricrings, and a bottle cap remover disposed in the central port-ion of saiddisk.

7. A device according to claim 6 wherein the bottle cap remover isformed integrally of an elongated plate having an inverted V-shapedcentral portion defining a fulcrum, a prying member disposed a distanceon each side of the fulcrum, said prying members being slanted in aplane parallel to the respective sides of the fulcrum, and flat endportions extending outwardly from the respective prying members, saidend portions being embedded within the body of the disk and therebysecuring the cap remover to the device.

8. A device of the class described comprising a disk, an uprightoutwardly flared corrugated wall integral with the periphery of saiddisk, a plurality of spaced rows of lugs projecting vertically from saiddisk, said lugs being spaced apart within the respective rows andaligned in files radiating outwardly from a point somewhat removed fromthe center of said disk, said lugs being arranged with the correspondingequi-radial lugs to form concentric rings, a plurality of concentricallyarranged spaced upright supports disposed Within the innermost ring oflugs, said supports being of height at least equal to said lugs, and abottle cap remover disposed in the central portion of said disk.

No references cited.

